Greece (Crete, Knossos)

Griffin Fresco from the Throne Room of Knossos

3077

Date Created: Circa 1450–1350 BCE (Late Minoan II to IIIA period). Period: The Neopalatial to Post-Palatial Bronze Age (Late Minoan period) of Crete. This era represents the height and final administrative phase of the Minoan palatial system, characterized by sophisticated monumental wall painting, syncretic religious iconography, and strong cultural exchanges across the Aegean.

Sacred Guardianship and Royal Authority: Functionally, the griffin fresco decorated the walls flanking the alabaster throne in the Throne Room of Knossos, serving as divine guardians (apotropaic figures) protecting the sacred seat of a priest-king or high priestess. Religious and Political Symbolism: In Minoan cosmology, griffins held a chthonic and divine status, bridging earthly rule with the authority of the Great Goddess or nature deities, thereby reinforcing the absolute political and religious legitimacy of the palatial elite.